Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on low back pain in computer using working adults

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for computer-users to work-from-home (WFH) has increased world-wide. This study aims to explore how the COVID-19 lockdown has affected pain in the lower-back of adult computer professionals. Individuals aged 20-55, both male and female, meeting inclusion criteria (computer/laptop WFH, worked more than an hour on a computer/laptop) were invited to participate voluntarily after providing informed consent. A Google Forms survey was distributed, including self-reported demographic questions, work hours on a computer/laptop during-lockdown, and Oswestry-Low-Back-Disability-Questionnaire (OLBDQ) to assess low-back-pain (LBP) pre- and during-lockdown. The mean OLBDQ score, pre-lockdown 3.681 with 95% confidence interval (CI) [2.621, 4.741] and during-lockdown 4.893 with 95% CI [3.317, 6.470]. A relevant difference was identified among the working hours' scores from the pre-lockdown and during-lockdown of the OLBDQ for low back pain. The obtained p-value in this context is 0.005, signifying that the observed negative difference is statistically significant for the study. WFH increases LBP of working females and males during the COVID-19 lockdown, poor ergonomics at home is one possible source. Therefore, it is essential to enhance awareness among employed individuals regarding proper ergonomic practices when using a computer both at home and in the workplace.